Free to Weep: Finding the Courage to Grieve and Embracing the God Who Heals

You and I are free to weep because the Savior wept first.

Suffering is good. God is teaching you to be content. At least you don’t have cancer. Have you ever heard—or maybe you’ve said—sentiments like these in the face of suffering? Without being able to put our finger on why, thoughts like these can leave us feeling confused, lonely, and disoriented.

Is God frustrated by our tears and weakness? Does He weep with us or is He aloof and uncaring? In Free to Weep, Brittany Allen looks to biblical texts to reveal the God who is “near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). In each chapter, Brittany combats and corrects lies and half-truths women (including herself) tend to believe about suffering, like:

• Weakness is shameful.
• If you’re suffering well, you won’t be downcast.
• You’re suffering because you sinned.
• Suffering is good.
• Experiencing sadness means you’re discontent.
• Once you learn God’s lesson, your suffering will end.
• Anxiety and depression are always rooted in sin.
• And more.

What does it look like to suffer well—to grieve life’s losses, big and small? How does God grieve? Looking to the example of Jesus, our Suffering Savior, readers grow in empathy, truth, and grace for themselves and others. God is with you in your pain. When you’re suffering, He invites you to draw near and rest in Him. Join Brittany in discovering the beauty of God’s heart in Free to Weep.

BRITTANY ALLEN lives in Ohio with her husband and their two boys. They are members of Centerville Christian Fellowship, where she serves in the Women’s Ministry. She is the author of Lost Gifts: Miscarriage, Grief, and the God of All Comfort, and writes for various online ministries.